Picking up the Pieces
by Nonsense-Nosense
Summary: "You two are a lot alike."she told him as they watched her brother on the dance floor. Ash looked down at her, surprised."How so?"She smiled sadly."You're both broken and need help picking up the pieces, but so far, very few have stopped to help."
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: With his newborn son left on his doorstep and the woman he loves Merlin knows where, Harry is broken when Daphne Greengrass abandons him and their son to live her own life. Seeing her friend's state of mind and knowing he needs to get out of England, Livia Malfoy packs their bags and takes the Potters to a family home in New Orleans, Louisiana. There she meets someone who's just as broken as Harry, and might need more help than he does when picking up the pieces.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Dark-Hunters, they belong to J.K. Rowling and Sherrilyn Kenyon**

* * *

Livia Malfoy was pissed. No, she was beyond pissed. She was bloody furious. She couldn't believe that _bitch_ had given Harry so much hope for a family, only to leave him when the babe was born. Now she had a crying toddler in a bassinet in the corner of her room, a broken Harry Potter sleeping on her bed after having to force a calming draught down his throat, and the bullish Molly Weasley in her fireplace. She also had to finish packing, because there was no way in hell she was going to risk Harry running into _her_ when he went out. They were moving. Today. She already had a house picked out.

"So you're leaving him to?" the Weasley Shrew demanded. Livia turned on her with a snarl.

"No, you nosy, smothering, nagging, interfering bint! We're moving! Leaving England and the wizarding world altogether! Now get out of my fire so I can finish packing our things, you insufferable shrew!" she spat, closing the Floo connection before the red head had a chance to respond. Sighing as her anger left her, she waved her wand, allowing their things to pack themselves. Her eyes landing once more on her best friend's sleeping form, she swore that if she ever saw Greengrass again, she'd make her wish she'd killed her. Hearing the baby cry again, she hurried to the bassinet to pick her up.

"Shh, Lily, shh, it'll be okay. Daddy'll wake up soon. Shh, baby, Auntie Liv's got you."

Livia – no that isn't short for Olivia – Tanaquil Malfoy was (literally) the only Malfoy ever born without the family's platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, her hair a light mahogany and her eyes a warm honey instead. This was probably due to the fact that her mother had been a muggleborn surrogate, whom the Malfoys had hired when they discovered that Narcissa was unable to bear anymore children after Draco. Narcissa and her son had hated Livia from her birth, fearing that she would steal Draco's inheritance from him. Lucius, however, was absolutely smitten with his daughter. He treated her like the little princess she was. Then she'd gone to Hogwarts a year after her brother and befriend Harry Potter, also being the only Malfoy to have ever been Sorted into Gryffindor. She had, unfortunately, run off the muggleborn Granger when she began joining Harry on his adventures. Apparently the know-it-all had been under the impression that she and Ronald Weasley were the only friends Harry needed. Harry had put that thought process to a halt when he'd found the bushy haired girl trying to threaten the younger away from him. Now, nearly four years later, Livia was still there. She still stood beside Harry. Ron did too, of course, but even the rash ginger admitted that he couldn't support Harry emotionally the way she did. And she was currently rocking a very fussy Lily Daphne Potter to sleep. Smiling adoringly as her goddaughter finally calmed, she gently placed her back in the bassinet. Now she had to find out what the hell a "Were-Hunter" was and she would be golden.


	2. Chapter 2

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! I have had enough! I know we both have enough money to live on for the rest of our great-grandchildren's lives, but this is getting ridiculous! You're not even going through the motions anymore! And you're not paying _any_ attention to your daughter! I've been taking care of her since we moved here while you've been locked up in your room with the curtains closed and the lights off moping and nursing a bottle of whiskey!" Livia shrieked as she slammed the door open to the bedroom of the man in question. She went over to the curtains and jerked them open, flipping the lights on when she passed the switch. She stomped into the en suite bathroom and turned on the shower before making her way to the bed. She pulled the comforter off the bed and vanished his clothes, grabbing his arm and jerking him out of the bed and dragging him towards the bathroom. She shoved him into the shower and quickly exited the room, locking him in, shouting over her shoulder.

"Get clean and shave that lethifold off your face! Your clothes will be laid out for you when you get out!" she closed the bedroom door with a snap and hurried to her goddaughter's room, praying her shouting hadn't woken the infant.

Nearly an hour later, Harry made his way to the nursery and found Livia rocking the daughter he'd never held to sleep. Guilt hit him like a wrecking ball. Walking further into the room, he held his arms open in question as he approached the pair. Smiling gently, Livia held the baby up for him to take. Gingerly, he took his baby girl into his arms for the first time and stared at her in awe. She looked nothing like her mother. She had his green eyes and black hair, though hers was straight in comparison to his unruly crow's nest. She even had his pale skin, though hopefully she wouldn't keep it. The only thing she inherited from Daphne was her heart-shaped face and probably her slender figure when she grew older. She was absolutely perfect. His little princess. And she truly looked it – she had the Black's aristocratic features and high cheekbones even with baby fat.

Livia smiled as she watched Harry hold his daughter for the first time. The little raven already had her daddy wound around her tiny fingers. She gave them a few more minutes before clearing her throat softly and gestured pointedly towards the cot. Eyes wide, he nodded hurriedly, laying Lily down in the crib carefully before following Livia out of the room. In the hallway, he picked nervously at his sleeve, waiting for her to let him have it. She surprised him by throwing her arms around him and burrowing into his chest.

"It's good to have you back, big brother." she whispered. He felt another pang of guilt as he realized that his little sister had been suffering with him. He'd let both his girls down. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Liv." he murmured softly. They stood holding each other for a few minutes before Liv pulled away and took a step back. She looked at him sternly.

"Now, I didn't dress you up just to hold Lily. You're going to a job interview I managed to get you. It's at a bar called Sanctuary on the French Quarter. It's only a few blocks away from here actually. Ask around, you'll get there eventually. Ask for Nicolette."

He stared at her for a moment – then he laughed. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her to him and kissed her temple. He gave her a quick squeeze before releasing him.

"Alright, baby girl. I'll be back in a few hours. I'll cook supper tonight." he added over his shoulder as he left the room. Livia smiled. She had her Harry back.

Harry walked into Sanctuary with an air of amusement. Apparently they weren't aware of wizards. Harry could sense the power coming from them in waves. He walked over to the bar and smiled charmingly at the bar tender.

"My name is Harry Potter, I'm looking for Nicolette."

The man gave him a droll look, turned, and walked into a back room. A few moments later, he came back with a tall blonde woman with blue eyes. She gave him a sharp look.

"May I help you?"

Harry held out his hand.

"Harry Potter, Madame. My sister Livia spoke to you about me possibly getting a job here."

Her guarded expression melted to be replaced by a warm smile.

"Mr. Potter! A pleasure to meet you. Your sister is a delightful woman. Yes, she asked if I would consider giving you a job when she came in to audition to play here. One of our bands quit and we're looking for a replacement. She showed up to audition as a solo artist. After she performed she approached me about you. I was sorry to hear about your fiance, Mr. Potter."

Harry laughed bitterly.

"She told you about that, did she?" he asked ruefully. She nodded once.

"Yes. She also told me about your recent depression."

He snorted.

"Depression? No, that was moping. It was a disgrace, and I disappointed both of my girls." he berated himself harshly. The blonde smiled warmly.

"I can see what she meant about you. You are much harder on yourself than anyone else would be. You punish yourself enough. You have a job, Mr. Potter. You start next Monday. That should give you enough time to sort yourself out."

Harry gaped at her. Then began thanking her profusely. She laughed.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Potter. Now go home. Tell your sister the news."

Still thanking her, he nodded as he headed for the door in a daze.

Colt stared at his boss questioningly.

"You don't trust him, do you?"

Nicolette snorted.

"Don't be ridiculous. But there is something about that young man that speaks to me, so I will be keeping an eye on him will he serves humans their beers. His sister amuses me, so I will be hiring her as well."

Colt gave her an odd look for a second before going back to his job. None of them knew just how much the two humans would change their lives until much, much later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally chapter three is up! Sorry about the wait guys, but I've had HUGE writer's block with **_**everything**_**! I'll try to make updates more frequent from now on, but here you go! Enjoy!**

Being a parent at 23 was not fun, Livia discovered over the next five years. She had turned down the job at Sanctuary when they'd hired her brother, her only reason for auditioning being to scope out a job for Harry. She and Harry had started taking turns at watching over Lily, Harry taking her during the day while Livia studied to get a muggle education and Livia taking her at night while Harry went to work. Livia would stay at home with Lily until she went to sleep, then she'd summon Kreature to watch over her while she went to spend the rest of the night with Harry at Sanctuary. It was exhausting and neither one got much sleep, but they wouldn't trade it for anything. Tonight was Harry's night off and Mama Lo had offered to take Lily for the night while they took a chance to act their age. Livia had snatched at the chance and forced Harry to go out, though she hadn't been able to stop herself from going to Sanctuary when Harry suggested it. It was as the name implied: a sanctuary. It soothed something ragged within her and helped her relax. The peace called to her, so she didn't put up much resistance when Harry demanded to go there and see his daughter. Now she was leaning against the bar with the strongest drink she could convince Colt to give her and watching her brother dance, she and Aimee having forced him out on the floor hours ago. She raised a brow when a shadow fell over her and turned to see Cherise's boy standing next to a very yummy looking Goth decked all in black, his dark hair highlighted with streaks of red. She grinned at her Cajun friend.

"Hey Nicky! Who's this?"

Nick returned the grin with an excited one of his own.

"Hey Liv. This is Ash; he's my boss's boss."

Livia raised a brow, a smirk lighting her face.

"You're taking your boss's boss to a bar?" she asked suggestively. Nick rolled his eyes, shoving her in retaliation. Ash laughed and held out a hand, surprising Livia when, instead of shaking her own, he brought it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

"Acheron Parthenopaeus."

Livia laughed delightedly.

"Livia Malfoy. My, you're a charmer, aren't you?" she teased. The man chuckled.

"Merely manners."

Livia snorted.

"Manners my arse, there's only one man has ever kissed my hand as a show of respect and he's over there on the dance floor. Everyone else always wants something." She retorted, pointing to Harry, who was now fending off a horde of blonde women that wanted to dance with him. Nick put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. Raising a brow at the drink in her hand.

"Mama take Lily?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement. She nodded, looking downcast. He laughed and gave her a squeeze.

"It's not that bad. Maybe you can convince Ash to get out on the floor." He wagged his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"Only if you'll go rescue Harry."

The Cajun smirked.

"With pleasure."

Livia snickered. She wondered if she hadn't just put her brother in a worse fix. She turned back to Acheron with a grin.

"Nick's been trying to get Harry to go out with him for a while now. Harry always finds a reason to say no."

The man cocked a brow.

"I didn't know Nick was gay."

Livia shook her head.

"Nah, he just doesn't give a shit." She laughed. Ash laughed with her.

"So why does Harry say no?"

She sighed, sobering suddenly.

"Five years ago, Harry was engaged to a girl we went to school with. Daphne was a beautiful woman. She was also a social climbing bitch. Daphne got pregnant when they were seventeen. After giving birth to their daughter, she left the girl on the doorstep to my flat and ran off. I moved the pair of them here that day and I've been helping him raise Lily ever since."

Ash winced.

"Ouch. He swore off dating?"

She shook her head.

"Just women. Harry was always Bi, but now he's afraid to put himself out there, and Nick just isn't mature enough for him."

He nodded.

"I can see that. Being forced to raise a child with only a friend to help would cause anyone to grow up quickly."

Livia shot a look at Colt, tilting her head in Ash's direction.

"Does he…?"

Colt snorted.

"Ash was here a couple of centuries before Weres were."

She nodded, grinning at the surprised look on the man's face when she faced him again.

"I'm a witch and Harry's a wizard. Lily was born in the aftermath of a war. Nick didn't stand a chance even without Lily. We were both forced to grow up too fast, but we don't complain." She smiled, "Besides, we got Lily out of it."

Ash smiled at the affection in her tone. It was obvious she adored the girl. He held his hand out to her with a grin.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked impishly. Livia laughed, placing her hand in his and allowing him to lead her out on the floor.

"So, Ash," she shouted over the music, "I told you about me and Harry. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

He shrugged.

"What do you want to know?"

She thought for a moment.

"Why don't you tell me what you feel comfortable with? Start with your job and go from there."

Ash nodded, grateful that she wasn't pushing him for something more personal.

"I'm the leader of the Dark-Hunters." He said as casually as he could. Livia froze, her eyes searching his frantically. She grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs and into an empty room.

"You're not here to kill us, are you?"

He shook his head.

"No, and we were never supposed to hunt your kind, but Artemis was at war with Hecate and sent a select few of my hunters after your people."

She nodded and relaxed and he raised a brow.

"That's it? You're not upset?"

She gave him a crooked smile and leaned against the wall beside her.

"That was a couple thousand years ago, Ash, and I just got out of a war fought over prejudices not that long ago. I try not to judge people before I know them."

He nodded, his face expressionless.

"If it will make you feel better, I can tell you how the Dark-Hunters began."

Livia snorted.

"I have a feeling that to do that, you would have to give me a hell of a lot more information than you're comfortable with." She sighed, "C'mon, you're buying me a drink." She added tersely.

Ash laughed, nodding again and allowing her to drag him back to the bar.

Harry finally managed to shake Nick when Cherise got off. The Cajun had just left to walk his mother home and Harry was now searching for his sister. He felt his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline when he caught sight of her talking to a tall man dressed completely in black. He cleared his throat and fought to keep his jaw from dropping when both turned to face him. The man was gorgeous. Harry fought back the impulse to jump the man and held out his hand.

"Harry Potter."

The man laughed, shaking the offered limb.

"Acheron Parthenopaeus. Call me Ash."

Harry inclined his head.

"I see you've met my sister, Ash." He stated, a bit of warning in his tone. Livia and Ash both laughed.

"It's not what you're thinking, Potty. He's a friend of Nick's. We got to talking and he bought me a drink."

Harry nodded, though he did shoot his sister a questioning look. She smiled serenely and Harry relaxed. It was safe to trust this man. He grinned at Sex-on-Legs and nodded in his direction.

"It was nice to meet you. I'm going back to dancing. Maybe I can find a partner that won't be all over me."

Livia snorted.

"Good luck with that, sweetie."

He stuck his tongue out at her before disappearing in the sea of bodies.

Livia smirked when she followed Ash's gaze to Harry's dancing form.

"You're a lot alike, you know."

He looked down at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

She smiled sadly.

"You're both broken and trying to pick up the pieces, but so far no one's stopped to help."

He gaped at her for a moment before wiping the expression from his face.

"What makes you think that?"

She chuckled mirthlessly.

"C'mon, Ash, I'm not stupid. You're behavior, your mannerisms. You're used to betrayal. You're too much like Harry for me not to notice it."

He glared at her.

"You don't know me, Livia."

She shook her head.

"No, I don't, but I've been watching you. You don't let anyone at your back; you flinch away from physical contact. You want to know how I can see all that?" she asked quietly, he shook his head. "I'm used to looking for it in Harry. It took me six years to get Harry to stop recoiling when I hugged him. The only person who has ever automatically had his trust on sight is his daughter." She leaned forward, putting her lips to his ear, "Abuse always shows, no matter how long ago it happened." She whispered. Ash glared and got to his feet, throwing a bill on the bar and storming out of the building. Livia sighed and turned to Colt.

"The strongest you've got. Hold the human hair." She added sharply, glaring at the Were when he tried to protest. Colt sighed and poured her the drink. Livia slammed the shot back. It was going to be a long night.

Ash was seething. How _dare_ she?! The woman knew nothing about him, yet she was arrogant enough to think she knew enough to make presumptions about his past! H punched the wall, the impact cracking the hard stone. She knew _nothing_! He sighed as his anger slowly drained. He knew he was angry because her words had hit too close to home for comfort. She was a perceptive girl, and also important enough to him in the future that he couldn't see hers. The blank wall he'd hit when he'd tried to see the small family's future had also been a part of what had caused his ire. He was tired of not being able to see the fates of the ones he loved. He could help everyone but those he cared about and he was sick of it. With a sound of pure frustration, he pounded his fist into the wall again. Turning abruptly and leaving the room, he wondered how the vivacious woman and her family would change his life.

The next night Livia was given another night on the town by herself, Harry having been given the rare two nights off in a row, and came across a very interesting gathering. Four hot men and Nick were gathered at the Pedestrian Mall. One of the yummy men was Ash and she was rather nervous about seeing him, though as she neared them and heard what Nick had to say, she felt her blood run cold and her body stiffen in rage.

"….If he goes down, he's on his own."

Livia stomped over to her friend and thumped him hard on the ear. The man turned on her with fear in his eyes.

"Liv –"

"Don't you _dare_ 'Liv' me, Nicolas Gautier!" she snapped, "What the bleeding hell crawled up your arse and died this evening?" she demanded furiously. The Cajun seemed to find his backbone at those words and glared back at her.

"You have no idea what he did to Kyrian." He spat, pointing to a dark-haired man who carried the same regal air as her father.

"Then why don't you enlighten me?" she snarled. The man snapped.

"He watched as he was fucking tortured and did nothing!"

"How old was he?" she asked calmly, surprising the men surrounding her.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nick eventually spluttered through his shock. Livia snorted.

"Everything, trust me," she turned to the man in question, "Sir, how old were you?" she asked curtly. The man looked startled for a moment before wiping the expression from his face.

"Eight." He bit out. Livia turned on Nick with a sneer.

"Tell me, Nick, what exactly do you expect an eight year old to do in that situation?" she asked condescendingly. Nick glared at her and stomped off.

"If you need me, I'll be waiting in my car." He snapped. Livia sneered after him. One of the men cleared their throat and she turned to find Ash staring at her with a raised brow. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to piss him off, but I've put up with that kind of bullshit enough in my short life. Hearing Nick saying he would leave a man to die, for something he had no hand in, just kind of set me off. I wouldn't allow my brother to die if I could help it and that bastard tortured me."

Ash looked aghast.

"Harry?"

She laughed and shook her head.

"No, Harry's not really my brother. He's my best friend and he and his daughter are the closest to family that I have. My brother's name is Draconis." She told him, looking amused at the suggestion that Harry would ever hurt her. The man she had defended shook his head.

"You are a far better person than I will ever be." He stated. The other men nodded, though the one with the claws snorted.

"Considering what you did as a human, that's really not that hard."

Livia sighed.

"I'm going to ignore you." She stated, holding her hand out to the other man with a dazzling smile.

"Livia Tanaquil Malfoy."

The man smiled and took the offered limb, bringing her hand to his lips and brushing a kiss to the knuckles.

"Valerius Magnus, my lady. A pleasure to meet you."

She chuckled at that.

"You as well. Roman?" she asked curiously. He nodded, charming smile still in place. The other men were watching the exchange in amazement. None of them had ever seen the Roman smile before.

"I am. And yourself?"

She grinned and moved her hand in a so-so gesture.

"Kinda. I'm British, and my father's family is originally from France, but with Roman ancestry. It's how the tradition of giving our children Roman names started. My father's name was Lucius and his father was Abraxus."

Valerius chuckled.

"Fine names, all of them."

Livia laughed.

"They are, but they're also old fashioned enough that Harry nearly decked a few boys for making fun of me for it."

Valerius nodded, then looked around him and took in the stunned expressions of the others. Giving her another brief smile, he kissed her hand again before dropping it.

"As I said, Miss Malfoy, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I'm afraid I must take my leave"

She smiled warmly at him.

"The pleasure was mine, and please, call me Livia."

Another flash of a smile.

"As you wish, and have a pleasant evening."

As he turned to walk off, she grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" she summoned a sharpie out nowhere and pushed back his sleeve, "If you get in trouble and need help, give me a call. I was a field medic during the war and I have a basement you can sleep in if you can't make it home before sunlight." She told him, writing her number on his arm. He stared at her for a moment, and Ash feared the man would explode on the girl, but the Roman surprised him. There was gratitude in his eyes, even though his face was as stoic as ever.

"I appreciate the offer, though I don't believe I will need it."

She smiled at him.

"I hope you don't, but for my piece of mind, put it in your cell?" she asked. He nodded, his lips turning up in the corners in an attempt at another smile, but he managed to keep it at bay. With a promise to put her on his speed dial, he melted into the shadows. Ash cleared his throat once more. Livia turned to him with a raised brow.

"Yes, Mr. Yummy Goth Child?" she asked flippantly. Ash snorted.

"Yummy Goth Child?" he quirked a brow and she flashed a grin.

"Yes. You stomped away like a child yesterday, you appear to be Goth, and you are very yummy looking." She smirked, "Not my type, but still yummy looking."

Ash had to laugh at that.

"Oh, and what is your type?"

"Blonde and unattached." She replied promptly. Another throat cleared and she turned to see Mr. Claws and another yummy, this one blonde, were staring at the pair expectantly.

"Who's this, T-Rex?"

Ash grinned.

"A friend of Nick's."

"And yours!" she added indignantly, mock-glaring at him. The Atlantean stared at her.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You heard me. I'm your friend too, whether your tall, grumpy ass likes it or not." She added huffily. Ash rolled his eyes.

"You are very annoying, you know that?" he asked drolly. She beamed and nodded.

"I know. I make it a hobby to annoy all the men in my life. Dev and Colt don't seem to mind though." She mused. Talon choked.

"You're sleeping with both of them?" he asked incredulously. She turned to him with a shrug.

"Occasionally, though never at the same time. Apparently Hawks and Bears don't like to share, even though all three of us have agreed that there's no commitment involved."

Ash shook his head.

"You're having casual sex with two Weres?"

She shrugged again.

"Only occasionally. Usually when my magic starts to influx and I feel like I'm about to explode."

Ash raised a brow in question, she sighed.

"Being the first Malfoy in centuries that isn't inbred, I have a greater influx of magic than most witches and wizards do, just like Harry, though his power makes mine seem like a joke. Sometimes, when a witch or wizard doesn't use their magic frequently enough, it can turn on them and kill them from the build-up. Sex is a good way to control it; because the magic is let out to do as it wishes, often seeping into the foundations of the building the magical person is in. That's why Hogwarts' wards are so strong. It holds thousands of horny-ass teenagers for ten months a year." This got a chuckle from Talon and Ash, "So, when I feel the magical implosion from hell coming on, I grab Dev or Colt and jump them." She finished with an elegant shrug. "If they're ever mated, I will, of course, back off."

Ash shook his head.

"Would you like to go patrolling with me? I need to talk to you."

Having a pretty good feeling about what he wanted to talk about, she nodded.

"Yeah, just let me call Harry to let him know I won't be home before Lils' bedtime." She told him, pulling out her phone and punching in a number. She smiled when her friend answered.

"Hey, honey, I'm just calling to let you know that I'm gonna be out late tonight." She laughed, "Yeah, sweetheart, everything's fine, I just ran into Ash and he invited me to hang out with him tonight." She rolled her eyes, "Harry, you and I both know he's more your type than mine." She cackled suddenly, "He might be within hearing distance." She held the phone away from her ear and the others heard a faint shout of what might have been her name. She put the phone back to her ear and chuckled, "Relax, Har-bear. I've embarrassed you far worse than this before and you know it. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm evil incarnate and a bad, bad example for my goddaughter to follow." She snorted, "Love you, Har, give Lil kisses for me. I'll be careful, bye."

Ash raised a brow in question, but she shook her head.

"Talk to him. I'll go wait for you over there," she pointed to a kiosk a short distance away, "while you finish your meeting with your super secret boy band." She finished with a grin. Ash rolled his eyes and Livia walked a short distance away. Talon raised a brow and Ash once again rolled his eyes.

"Not what you're thinking, Celt."

"Then what?"

"None of your business!' he snapped. "Now you both know what you're supposed to do. Zarek, Nick's waiting to take you to your house." He added almost nervously.

"House?" Zarek asked quietly. Ash winced.

"We decided that it would be for the best…"

Zarek snorted.

"Sure. For the best. Don't want me going psycho and killing one of the others. Whatever, Acheron. I'll do my patrols until Mardi Gras is over and you send my hairy ass back to Alaska."

He turned and walked away before Ash could respond. The Atlantean sighed and turned back to Talon.

"Try not to get yourself killed," he smirked, "and please try to keep track of your clothes this time."

Talon made a noise of disgust and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, T-Rex. Go entertain your woman." He snarked before leaving. Ash shook his head and made his way over to Livia. She smiled as he approached.

"You done giving the kids their chores?" she teased. He laughed.

"Yeah. Zarek is more pissed with me than usual though."

She raised a brow.

"Zarek?"

"The one with the claws."

She nodded.

"Ah, and what have you done to piss him off?"

He sighed.

"Z's pissed at everyone and always has been. It's a long, complicated story and not really mine to tell."

"Then give me the basics." She insisted. He ran a hand through his hair.

"In a minute, but we need to talk first."

She nodded.

"I'm listening."

Ash paused and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about last night. I overreacted."

Livia smiled and shook her head.

"No you didn't. I should have kept my bloody mouth shut. It's not my place to say anything. If you ever want to talk about it though, I'm always willing to listen at anytime, day or night, and I won't judge you for anything you've done or that's been done to you." She swore. He smiled at her.

"Harry's lucky to have you." He said softly. She laughed at that.

"Nah, I'm lucky to have him. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have Harry. Probably dead." She mused absently. Ash frowned.

"Dead?"

She shot him a calculating look before answering.

"Ash, I'm giving you a lot of personal information. I want the same trust in return. It doesn't have to be anything big. Make it simple; tell me the worst of it when you're more comfortable with me."

He watched her hesitantly for a moment before he nodded. It was more than fair.

"What do you want to know?"

She grinned.

"I'll answer your question first. When I was sixteen, my brother turned me over to the Dark wizard he served and the man had all of his followers take turns torturing me. My dad, also one of his followers, refused to participate and told Harry and a group he was a part of where to find me. Harry led a small group into their hidey hole and got there in time to stop the bastards from raping me. Harry and Voldemort dueled and Harry managed to wound Moldypants. He grabbed me and those that weren't killed escaped. Three months later, Harry killed the Dark Lord. He's celebrated back home as a hero. Tell me Zarek's story." She commanded. Ash sighed.

"I'll give you the basics. Anything more, you'll have to talk to Zarek himself."

She nodded seriously and Ash knew she understood. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Zarek wasn't always the mess he is now. A few hundred years ago, a Daimon was given immortality and destroyed the village Zarek was assigned to. Zarek went looking for him and ended up killing some Apollites that he wasn't supposed to. It was in self defense, but Artemis wanted his head for it. I managed to talk her into banishing him to Alaska."

"There's more to it, isn't there? Something that you're not saying." Livia asked curiously. Ash sighed again.

"Zarek doesn't remember what happened. He thinks he slaughtered his village. I replaced his memories. It was for the best."

Livia sighed and shook her head.

"You know that's eventually going to come back and bite you in the ass."

He nodded.

"I know, but it had to be done. I'll deal with the consequences when they come."

She raised a brow. She had a feeling that this would come back to bite him sooner rather than later.

"So…. When you were human, did you have any siblings?"

Ash nodded tightly.

"Two. My sister Ryssa and my brother Styxx."

"Don't wanna talk about it. Got it." She said with a nod. He snorted.

"You really are used to dealing with fucked up people, aren't you?"

She grinned.

"Ash, everyone's at least a little fucked up. If we weren't, we wouldn't be human. Nobody's perfect, not even gods. We've all been through shit and we're all assholes sometimes. But we all have to realize that none of us have the corner market on misery and learn to get over ourselves. Somebody, somewhere, always has it worse than we do, even if it doesn't always seem that way. Some of us were abandoned; some were neglected, some ostracized, lobotomized, robbed, cheated, raped, molested, betrayed, tortured, sold, beaten, or verbally attacked. Whatever your trauma, you gotta learn to deal and move on, or you'll be trapped in the past and the people that hurt you will always win."

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head incredulously.

"You are way to wise to be as young as you are."

She shrugged.

"War tends to have that effect, love."

He sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, unfortunately it does.

She smiled at him suddenly.

"Enough depressing talk! If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be?"

He stared again for a brief moment before he burst out laughing.

"You have to be the strangest human I have ever met."

She chuckled.

"Why thank you. Now answer the question." She commanded. Ash snorted.

"Okay, let me think for a minute, I've never actually thought about this before."

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, you should, it makes life much more entertaining."

He chuckled. This woman was certainly going to make his life interesting.

"It certainly does."


End file.
